Herman p



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. P. MARKS.

, TOY GUN.

No. 277,496. l Patented May 15,1883.

Fig- Z- T Cf al 62 Fig. E-

E N N i i V A WITN Essi-:s: |NVENT0R= gah# .'W/U: Mfwmmv@ By his Attorneys,

N. PETERS4 Pholbmogmhar. wnshingmn. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. P. MARKS.

TOY GUN.

No'. 277,496. Patented May 15,1883.

NVE NTO R I WITN EssEs. r Mmm JQ www By his ./ttomeys,

ko/.11n y@ N. PETERS. Phmn-Lilhogmpher. wnhingwn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN P. MARKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STIRN & LYON, SAME PLACE.

ToY GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ALetters Patent No. 277,496, dated May 15, 1883.

Application tiled September l1, 1882. (No model.)

To attachant it may concern:

`Be it known that I, HERMAN P. MARKS, -a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Toy Shooting Figures or Marksmen, of which the following is a specification.

, The object of my invention is to provide a toy marksman bearing a gun that shall shoot darts or other projectiles, which can be aimed 1o readily and with a considerable degree of ao curacy, and which will admit of the exercise ot' skill on the part of the operator in aiming and tiring it.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is I5 a side elevation ofv my toy. Fig. 2 is a like view thereof on a larger scale, except that certain of the parts are in vertical longitudinal mid-section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of' the ligure in section on line 3 Spin Fig. 2. Fig. 4

zo is a view of one oi' the darts which the gun may re, and Fig. 5 is an elevation ot' a modiiication.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate the base or foundation-board upon which the remaining parts are mounted; B, the figure as a whole, and C the gun which it bears.

The ligure B is shown as the figure of a man holding the gun O as in the act of aiming; but the liguremay be that of any ot' the lower animals, or it may be a mere support for the gun, wit-hout being formed to represent any creature, thus retaining nearly all its essential attributes in the operation of the toy.

The gun C is shown as in imitation ot' a shotgun or rifle, but may represent a pistol or other tire-arm.

The ligure B is shown asconsisting of two uprights, a a., fixed to the base A, and shaped to represent the legs ofthe marksman, a body 40 portion, b, formed to represent his trunk, inserted between the legs, and jointed to them by a pin or rivet, o, so as to turn upon such joint, and arms dd', which may be eitherjointed to the trunk` I) by a pivot pin or rivet, e, or

may he fixed rigidly thereto. It the joint eis used, thejoint o may be omitted; but I prefer to use both. rlhese several parts are all shown as being out from thin pieces of iiat board and suitably painted, in the manner common to 5o toys. The arms d d are extended in the position commonly assumed in aiming a gun, and the gun O is h'xed to them. Y

The gun consists of a tube, f, ot' tin or other metal or material, and a flattened portiomf, designed to represent the stock. The tubej' 55 extends through the stock and the right arm, el, ot' the figure, as shown in Fig. 2, and connects-inside the arm with one end ot' a flexible tube, h, the other `end f which extends j down to the base, and there communicates 6c with the lower part ot' a vertical cylinder, D. This cylinder may be made ot' metal, wood, or other material, and has a piston, E, arranged to slide within it, attached to a piston-rod, i, on top of whicli,.above the cylinder, is fixed a knob or head, F. The upper end ot' the cylinder is closed with a cap or cover, m, which serves as a guide for the piston-rod, and the cylinder,just below this cap, is perforated with air-holes n a. A suitable target may be pro- 7o vided at which to shoot.

The darts G, one ot' which is shown in Fig. 4, consist each of a short stick with a sharp pointer spur,j, at the front end, and preferably a bit of felt or other fabric, lr, wrapped 75 around the butt or rear end to form a packing. The darts are made to nearly fill the gun barrel or tube f, and to slide freely therein.

. To operate' the toy a dart, G, is inserted iu the muzzle ot" the gun-barrel, the knob F 8o being already pushed down. The knob is then grasped and drawn up, drawing with it the piston E, which, fitting nearly air-tight in the cylinder, causes a suction therein, drawing air thereinto through the gun C and tube 7L. This 8 5 ingoing current ot' air draws the dart back in the gun-barrel to the breech of the gun, when the gun is ready to be tired. The gun is aimed by turning the base A in the proper direction, so that the gun shall point toward the object 9o to be fired at, and the gun is then brought to the proper elevation by bending the figure or support B at either of its joints or articulations. In Fig. 2 it is shown as bent back to elevate the muzzle of the gun. The gun is lired by suddenly forcing down the piston E by a quick movement ot' or blow upon the knob F. This suddenly compresses theair in the cylinder D below the piston, and causes a strong outward current through the tube h roo 2 y i y 277,496

and gun C, which forces ont the projectile, in the manner common -to blow-guns. In aiming, one can sight along the top of the gun-barrel, and with a little practice great accuracy may be attained. The blow or pressure in depressing the knob F should be suitably proportioned to the elevation of the muzzle ofthe gun and the distance of the object fired at.v

Other projectiles than darts may be used at pleasure.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified construction, an air duct o1' passage, 7L', through the platform A and thelegs and body of the figure B, which is shown as hollow and' made of metal,beingsubstitut`ed for therubbertubeaso that the connection of the gun with the source of air-pressure is concealed, the ligure B be ing made with its trunk and legs in one piece,1 and with but one joint-that at the shoulder--` and a bellows, D', being substituted for the,` air-pump cylinder and piston shown in Figs.y

l and 2. By forcing down the upper board of this bellows the gun is fired in the same manv Instead of the bellows .1 ,or lair-pump, a compressible hollow rubber ner already described.

- ball may be used to hold in the hand, and be -connected to the gun by a tube or otherwise. -Other modifications of both air-compressorE and gun-support will readily suggest the1n selves.

I am aware that air-guns have been made in various forms-some to be fired by blowing from the mouth into the stock, others by operating a piston in the stock, and others by winding up a spring in the stock or under the barrel,

the recoil of whicb,'when released, forces a piston through a cylinder. These are all guns to be held in the arms of a person while being fired, and are not toys in the sense in which I use the term. I make no claim to an air-gun having within itself the means of producing` source of pressure, substantially as set forth.'

2. A toy consisting of the combination of a base or platform, a figure or support mounted thereon and provided with one o'r more joints or articulations, an air-gun borne by and fixed to said ligure, a means for generating an airpressure sufficient to discharge said gun, and a tube or air-duct connecting the butt of said gun therewith, substantially as set'forth.

3. A toy consisting of the combination ot' a g base or platform, an air-pump cylinder and pistonmounted thereon,a figure or support also mounted thereon,an air-gun borne by and fixed to said figure, and a tube or air-duct connecting the butt ,of said gun to said cylinder, substantially as set forth. v

4.. The combination of platform'A, cylinder I), piston E, piston-rod t', and knob F, with iigure B, having legs a a, trunk b, and arms d,

air-gun C, fixed to said ligure, and air tube. or u duct h, substantiallyas set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.HERMAN P. MARKS.

Witnesses ARTHUR C. FRASER, GEORGE H. FRASER. 

